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State to force NYC ‘super speeders’ to install speed limiters, top lawmaker says
By
Jon Campbell
Published May 6, 2026
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CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
By
Jon Campbell
Published May 6, 2026
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Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers are poised to crack down on New York City drivers who repeatedly trigger the city’s speed cameras, requiring them to install and pay for a speed-limiting device in their vehicle.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told Gothamist on Wednesday that he anticipates the so-called “super speeder” measure will be included in a final state budget agreement, which is now five weeks late.
Heastie, a Democrat from the Bronx, said Assembly Democrats will support a version of the legislation that requires the owner of any vehicle that racks up 16 or more speed-camera tickets in 12 months to install an Intelligent Speed Assistance device, which uses GPS technology to limit a vehicle’s speed based on the local speed limit.
The speaker’s comments came after a closed-door meeting of the state Assembly’s Democratic members from New York City, where they discussed the issue.
Hochul and the state Senate’s Democratic majority previously pledged support for iterations of the measure; their staffers were scheduled to meet Wednesday night to iron out the final details.
“We had a conference with the city members,” Heastie told Gothamist. “And I think for the most part, they're comfortable in moving forward — with some major differences from the governor's [proposal].”
A bill cracking down on the most notorious speeders has been kicking around the state Legislature since 2023.
It received a major boost in January, when Hochul included a version of the proposal in her state budget plan.
Senate Democrats followed suit in March, including a different version in their own state budget proposal.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has backed the measure.
Hochul’s proposal, however, didn’t lay out many details. Instead, it would have let New York City determine how many tickets triggered the speed-limiting device requirement.
Heastie said the measure is expected to end up looking more like the existing legislative proposal, which Brooklyn-based Democrats Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher sponsored.
“There’s been a lot of positive momentum on this issue in recent days and while we still have more details to iron out, I feel fairly optimistic that we’ll get to a final agreement to enact a super speeder program for NYC,” Gounardes said in a statement.
The Assembly’s decision marks a major win for families of vehicle-crash victims, who banded together to form a group known as Families for Safe Streets New York. The group was a frequent presence at the Capitol in recent weeks and met with Hochul on Monday.
In a joint statement, the co-chairs of the group’s executive committee said the super speeders bill is “critical” and “will save lives.”
“We’re fighting to ensure it’s in the final budget,” Kate Brockwehl and Fabiola Mendieta-Cuapio said in the statement. “We’re cautiously optimistic and eager to see the full details."
Heastie and some Assembly Democrats had previously raised concerns about due process with the super speeder bill.
But he said the Assembly is on board with a version that addresses those concerns by removing a proposed misdemeanor charge for a driver who doesn’t install the speed-limiting device. Instead, the owner of the vehicle will face a series of escalating civil fines leading up to revoking the vehicle’s registration.
“ We’re talking about a civil violation,” Heastie said. “To add a criminal penalty on a civil violation, the city members … had a little bit of an issue on that. So that’s not going to happen.”
Heastie said the owner of the vehicle will be required to pay for the speed-limiting device. It costs approximately $150 to install and requires a $4-a-day subscription, according to the SteerSafe Partnership, a coalition that includes the largest manufacturers of the device and lobbied in favor of the super-speeder bill.
Drivers who can’t afford the cost will be allowed to enroll in a payment plan, Heastie said.
Tagged
Politics
new york
new york city
new york state
transportation
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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